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sábado, 19 de janeiro de 2013

Churchill Mk III CDL - Canal Defense Light - case report

I built this model in February, 2011 and would like to show the result for you, guys.

The Churchill Canal Defense Light version is often quoted, but was never photographed ! (It seems the Jagdtiger mit 8,8 cm ...).

"...Using a carbon arc light the CDL could generate up to 13 million candle power which was made to flicker. This causes the pupil to dilate and contract rapidly, temporarily blinding the viewer. Churchill, Grant and Matilda tanks were converted to the CDL role."

" Matilda and Churchill CDLs were always intended as a temporary solution. As I understand it, the M3 Grant was always considered to be the ideal long-term solution.

I've never seen photos of a Churchill CDL but I've seen clear reference to them in terms of ordering turrets - '65mm' turrets were designed for the Matilda, Churchill and M3 whilst '85mm' turrets were listed as only being suitable for Churchills. I assume that the 65/85 measurement was the frontal armour of the turret (and differences in weight).

As of September 1942, 290 '65mm' turrets had been delivered of 390 ordered. No '85mm' turrets had been delivered out of 100 ordered. 35th Tank Brigade was issued with both Matildas (49th RTR and 155th RAC) and Churchills (152th RAC) but it is unclear if the Churchills were ever fitted with CDL turrets. So - it was possible (even likely) that some Churchills had CDL turrets but only ever those based at Lowther Castle in Cumbria, where the CDL training took place."

In the same Forum, Dick Taylor cites:

"Found a reference recently in the diary of a member of 86 Fd Regt RA, stating that Churchills with searchlights were used on 9th February 1945 near Kranenburg:

A Churchill tank carrying a searchlight took up position in rear of our position and at night floodlit the area, pointing its beam over the town. With others in the neighbourhood it turned night into day and our gunners working on the guns were silhouetted against the night sky."

Well, with these inputs, I could build a CDL Churchill, with no remorse!!!!

And I transformed a CDL Verlinden turret (the ceiling is flat, wrong) to the correct shape (with slanted ceiling):

Verlinden turret - starting the correction...

putty...

Adding the rounded edge of the turret - left: Panzerserra turret

I made a silicone mold and cast other turrets for my future CDL's projects...

Panzerserra Foundry.

Back to the design of Churchill ...

According to reports cited above, the Churchill was seen at the end of the war, in a situation similar to that of Grants CDL. Based on this, I decided to characterize the CDL turret in the late version, with dummie gun.

And, based on the cartoon, put some accessories typically in use in the Churchill´s turret, such as the back and side trunks.

Notice the dummie gun in the turret

The CDL Churchill primmed

After primmer, Archer casting marks

First layer of deep-green

Tonal variations...

The markings of my Churcchill CDL. Cyclops it's a good name for a girl with one eye only: